The Onlooker's Account
by Miracle of Miracles
Summary: Delve into the mind of the quietest Titan as she encounters the day's events. And here the author apologizes for a quite cliche story. Pairings are up to the imagination and interpretation...
1. The Early Bird

A friend once told me that the sunrise symbolizes new beginnings…a fresh start to whatever we have in store for us for the rest of the day. Sort of a like a promise for whatever is to come.

I suppose he's right. Every day there is a sunrise, and following it is a new mission to keep things right in the world. In the Tower you can rest assured that there will be criminals to stop, peace to maintain…something to _do_.

I don't believe that the sun thought that today should be any different. From the window in the main room I watched it as it gradually elevated its height, commanding the trees and lampposts to cast their shadows. Bright and pink as ever.

I tend to be the last one to sleep and the first to wake up in the morning. Most of the time I hide in wait in the realms of my room, listening to the others awaken from their slumbers and head to the kitchen. But unlike the sun I had changed my daily routine, and perched on the couch with a mug of tea in hand as sunlight filtered in through the window.

_Beep! Beep!_

I snapped to attention. The mug I was holding was safely escorted to the floor and I pulled the confines of my hood over my head. As the alarm sounded the red brooch fastened at my collar blinked vividly, and teammates thundered sleepily yet readily into the room.

"We have some early-rising villains here," I drawled as my roommates came into vision. Robin stepped up to the computer and mechanically pressed some buttons. The town map appeared on the monitor.

"There's a disturbance at the Jump City Mall," the Boy Wonder reported. "I'm betting it's the HIVE again."

With little hesitation the five of us were in the T-car and headed for the mall. From about a block away signs of distress were already quite apparent; citizens were fleeing from the scene in a frenzy, jumping into their cars and high-tailing it or taking cover in nearby houses and alleyways.

Cyborg pulled over at the entrance. Beast Boy and I tumbled out through the same door and followed the others to the crime scene. Upon our arrival we could clearly see the damage; broken shop windows, displays vandalized, stray coins from broken-into cash registers…and among it all stood the culprits.

Ah, the HIVE Five. It sure brought back some memories. I was certain that our last ordeal gave the newest members, Seemore and Private HIVE, the impression that we would be fairly easy to defeat. I inwardly hoped that they wouldn't remember…

"Raven, whatever happened to that wonderful dress of yours?" Jinx stood some yards in front of us, tauntingly brandishing a shopping bag of stolen goods. She was flanked by her usual colleagues and the new recruits; Gizmo, Mammoth, Seemore, and Private HIVE. I seethed as both team leaders shouted their commands.

"Attack pattern Alpha!"

"Titans, GO!"

Fortunately for us, Cyborg knew this attack pattern well. He instinctively went for Gizmo, sonic cannon at the ready. I just as instinctively rounded on Jinx.

"Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" I sent trails of black energy surging from my hands to her face.

The pink haired sorceress quickly evaded my attack with a simple cartwheel. "HAAAAA!" she cried as she shot a well-aimed hex at me.

I dodged the hex by jumping away and suspending myself in the air with levitation. Jinx strategically shot more pink bolts, which were simply deflected by the force fields I produced.

As soon as the shower of hexes ended briefly, I swiftly encased her in a black orb. Within it I could see her face gain a look of fury before I cast her into the wall of the building. There was an explosion of rubble and she sank to the ground with a grunt.

Mammoth and Robin thundered about behind me as they fought fist to fist. Not too far away Beast Boy was in the form of a ram, connecting his horns with Private HIVE's shield. A strong sonic blast whizzed in front of me as Cyborg tried to hit Gizmo, who ambled about on four metal legs, cackling. And above my head Starfire dodged several eye-shaped traps and fired starbolts at Seemore.

BZZT!

"Auhhhhh…!" But maybe I should have paid more attention to the task at hand…I might have noticed that one hex coming at me.

I lay sprawled on the ground in a mound of pain. "A bit distracted, are we?" Jinx giggled as she approached me.

I tried to regain my composure and attempted to get off the ground.

"Azarath, Metrion—huhhhh!" Jinx kicked me down sharply and I skidded a few feet away. She followed, grinning sinisterly.

"Oh, has Ray-Ray lost her touch?" she taunted. "Did the ickle yellow birdie run out of luck and can't fight anymore?"

I suddenly lunged upwards, flinging myself at her and causing her to fall back. "Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" I summoned the closest thing I could find—a clothing rack parked at the front of one of the stores—and brought it down on Jinx's head. Needless to say she stopped teasing me after that.

I checked on the progress of my teammates. Beast Boy was battling it out in the form of a grizzly bear and managed to hit Private HIVE's shield out of his grasp with a powerful claw. Defenseless, the HIVE student cowered in the green bear's shadow. Robin had already overcome Mammoth somehow, and the culprit lay in an unconscious human mass at Robin's feet. Seemore had disappeared, and judging by the pieces of his headpiece that littered the ground he had also been rendered defenseless. Cyborg was in the middle of ripping apart Gizmo's gadgetry. "Booyah!" he cheered triumphantly as he threw the little boy, who emitted a wail as he soared across the shopping mall.

Robin gathered us around him. "The police are on their way right now," he informed us with a grin. "Our work here is done."

**XXXXX**

By the time we got back to the Tower it was about ten in the morning. The tea that I had left earlier was cold, and I dumped it in the sink. I retired to my corner in the lobby with the Book of Azar, flipping to the page where I last left off and became absorbed in the majesties and teachings of…

"Friend Raven?"

The vein in my temple throbbed violently. "What is it, Starfire?"

The redhead crouched down to my level cautiously. "Um, I was just wondering if…well…would you…um, are you busy at the moment?"

"…I suppose not." I closed the Book of Azar, figuring that it wouldn't hurt to do whatever it was Starfire wanted for once.

She seemed relieved that I didn't react in any violent way. "Wondrous! Because I am going to ask you if you would like to accompany me in the watching of a documentary!"

Robin once told me that I looked paler than usual. So I suppose it's very possible that I did pale a bit more at that very moment. "Uhm, that depends…what is the documentary about?"

"I believe that it is about an Earth creature that is called 'the shark'."

I relaxed. _Thank you, Shark Week._ "Yeah, okay."

Starfire emitted a joyous squeal as she bounded to the television and turned it on to the Discovery channel. She was greeted by the sight of a great white's gaping, toothy jaws—"Eeek!"—and dove onto the couch.

"Come off it, Starfire," I muttered as I joined her. "You've seen Beast Boy in that form before."

"Indeed, but when it is actually Beast Boy the animal is much less fearsome!"

I rolled my eyes behind the shadowy veil of my hood, though I couldn't agree more.

For the next few minutes we sat on opposite ends of the couch, watching the shark documentary. Starfire cringed notably whenever a shark would leap out of the water with a sea lion in its jaws, and stared in silent awe as the fish performed a graceful arc in the air before diving back beneath the water's surface. Once accustomed to watching the large predators, however, she relaxed.

"The shark is actually a quite beautiful animal, once you've thought about it, yes?" she inquired.

I nodded, silently but understandingly, in response.

"They are only feared because they are…misunderstood."

There was another bout of silence as we watched for a while without talking.

Again, Starfire was the first to break the silence. "Raven," she began, after checking to make sure we were alone, "I wish to consult you about something that I find rather important."

I slowly turned to face her. "Okay…what about?"

"It is regarding myself and Robin…"

Cripes! She wants to drag me into one of those cliché girl talks that I've read about…

"I'm sorry Starfire…I've just remembered something that I need to do…"

I rose from the couch and exited, leaving a dejected-looking Tamaranean alone in front of the television.

**XXXXX**

I took refuge in the garage, where Cyborg was tending after the T-car. As he bent over the contents of the car's hood and worked away on his "baby", I levitated in the lotus position a few feet away from him, occasionally handing him the tools that he needed.

I'm not sure why I like it there. Maybe because it's remote, away from the other Titans, calm…and maybe because whenever I'm in there, Cyborg's a few feet away, doing some hard work…and there's a sense of accomplishment.

Feh. I'm thinking too much about this.

It was quiet for quite a while, much like how it was in the living room. The only sounds were the sounds of Cyborg's tools making contact with the car's engine, which I tuned out as soon as I started to meditate.

Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos… 

_Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…_

_Azarath, Metrion Zinthos…_

_Azara—_

"Hey, Raven."

My eyes blinked open. "Do you need something?"

"Yeah, the wrench."

I levitated the wrench up to his reach and he took it.

"Thanks." He bent back over the engine again and fiddled with some of the machinery. I was about to resume meditation when suddenly he spoke again. "So, d'you know where BB is?"

I looked at him. "Nooo…why, were you looking for him?"

"Oh, no, I know where he is." I heard him chuckle softly.

"Cyborg, is there something you're not telling me?" My eyes flashed. "He's not in my room, is he?"

"What? No-o-o! Where'd you get that idea?" Cyborg laughed. "No, he's out…training with Robin."

"Okay…and was I supposed to know that?"

"_Supposed _to? Well, I guess not—"

"Then why did you ask me if I knew where Beast Boy was?"

"I wanted to know if you knew!"

"Is it important?"

"No!"

"So why did you ask me if I knew?"

"Geez, Ray, I dunno! It was just a question."

"All right, good, fine. I'll be in my room." I lowered my feet to the floor and exited the garage.

I still think he's not telling me something.


	2. Grocery List

Good books have a way of drawing me into them and blocking out the things around me. That's the effect that the Book of Azar had on me, because I had lost all awareness of the time and found myself reading until it was nearly five in the evening. I made myself tear my eyes away from the book's pages and slink out of my room.

I descended into the living room, where the plans for dinner were already taking place. Robin and Starfire stood wearily at a good distance away from the table, where Beast Boy and Cyborg were arguing over the main course. The bottle of barbecue sauce and the spatula on the table signified that Cyborg had planned a barbecue of some sort.

"Dude, do you have NO respect for vegetarians!" Beast Boy howled. "All you ever eat is meat, meat, MEAT! If I ate any of that stuff it would be just as bad as you, I dunno, eating Robin!"

"Do NOT drag me into this," Robin said warningly.

"You know what I absolutely hate?" Cyborg retorted. "The way you force that tofu crap on the rest of us. Man, get the picture, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO LIKES IT!"

"That is SO not true! Star likes it."

"Well, if you think everyone else has such good judgment, then let's ask them what THEY want!" I was beginning to regret abandoning my quiet time for this. "Robin, what do you want? Meat or crap?"

"I'm not contributing to this until you sort out your differences with Beast Boy. _Peacefully._"

"Fine! Star?"

"Idon'tmind, whateveryoutwowant, pleasedon'thurtme!" the poor Tamaranean squeaked.

"Raven?"

I stared at him coldly. "…Herbal. Tea."

Cyborg's human eye twitched and a vein in Beast Boy's forehead pulsed visibly. The two testosterone-charged Titans faced each other with fixated glares, practically steaming.

Robin finally gave in and stepped into the line of fire. "All right, I have an idea…we can still have a barbecue outside if you like. And Beast Boy Can grill some vegetables or tofu or whatever," he added quickly on the changeling's look.

Cyborg and Starfire looked instantly relieved and a fanged grin spread across Beast Boy's green face. "All riiight! It's a perfect day for my famous tofu kabobs."

"I still can't believe that the two of you haven't thought of a compromise before," Robin scoffed at them.

I strode across what used to be a battlefield to get my teabags from the pantry. At the same time Beast Boy dove into the refrigerator. "Aw man!" I heard him cry in dismay. "I'm out of tofu…"

I gave a long, shuddering sigh. The box in which I kept my teabags was completely empty; I'd forgotten that I'd used the last one for my morning tea.

"Hehehe…" Beast Boy peered over my shoulder. "I guess we both need to hit the grocery store…"

I could have sworn that there was a possibility of the vein in my temple bursting.

**XXXXX**

Beast Boy and I flew over the bay, him in bird form, without saying a word.

Well, I suppose that it would be difficult to strike up conversation with a hawk on even a normal basis…

We reached the grocery store not too long after we left the Tower. To my annoyance, I found him following me, as the shelves with the tea were close to the refrigerated section. My eyes searched hurriedly for my favorite kind of tea—a decaf, chamomile flavored tea—while Beast Boy came up behind me, having already gotten his tofu.

"Why don't you ever get flavored tofu?"

The two of us were both surprised as I spoke suddenly. I suppose that it was just too creepy to have him standing behind me, watching me, without saying anything.

"Uh…what?" he asked, in light astonishment.

"You always get the ordinary, tasteless kind," I pointed out. "There _is _tofu that comes with flavor…teriyaki, meat alternatives…and you've never gotten any of them. What's even weirder is that you go out to Asian cuisine take-outs, get boxes of ordinary tofu, and just eat it out of the box. You're vegetarian, Beast Boy, and you don't know how to mix tofu with _food?_"

Slight pause there. "Uhm…well…I guess I'm just weird that way, huh?" Beast Boy said finally with a weak chuckle. I get the feeling that I overwhelmed him slightly.

I found my tea and we made our way back to the checkout counters. I was careful to put one of the red plastic barriers between my tea and Beast Boy's tasteless tofu, to save me from paying for everything.

The two of us got odd looks from the passersby as we flew over their heads to our home. I figure that we were quite a sight; after all, I was flying next to a bright green hawk with a shopping bag in its beak.

**XXXXX**

Once home I heated up the kettle and got out a pair of teabags. I was going to take a Thermos full of tea outside with me while everyone else either ate the barbecued meat or veggies. Nearby Cyborg and Starfire were unloading the refrigerator of a large assortment of meats, deciding what to bring with them.

"We might as well bring it all out," Cyborg reasoned as he set the last set of chicken wings on the table, among the variety of beef and pork in the pile. "BB can eat all the processed junk that he wants…but nothing's stopping me from having an all-meat explosion tonight!"

"But are you not afraid that friend Beast Boy will take offense?" Starfire inquired uneasily.

"Star, what's offensive is all the times that he's snuck tofu into our breakfasts," Cyborg replied confidently. "Could you help me carry all this to the grills?" Here he gestured to the mound of bits of packaged carcass. Starfire gave a sigh but obliged, easily lifting up half the pile with her alien strength and following Cyborg out the door.

As soon as the kettle sounded its readiness, I poured its contents into the Thermos to join the two teabags. I stirred the mixture with a spoon as it steeped, inwardly enjoying the minty aroma and warmth. But no one was going to see that.

I rejoined my teammates behind the Tower with my Thermos and Book of Azar in hand. I occupied a spot several yards away from the grilling, entranced by the words of Azar, with the occasional tea-sipping. The other four Titans were crowded around a picnic table Cyborg had set up, among the platters piled-up with meat. My awareness of everything else was dropping…until a certain green changeling approached me with a skewer loaded with tofu cubes and veggies drenched in sauce.

"Hey, Raven," Beast Boy began.

My eyes slowly tore away from the book and locked with his. "What do you want?"

"Ih-h-h…would you like a free sample of my famous tofu kabobs? I, uh…mixed the tofu with food." His eyes were extremely hopeful as he cautiously extended the kabob down to my reach.

He really wanted me to try it, the poor kid.

"…I guess I'll humor you."

He looked somewhat shocked. "R-really?" A burst of sudden joy overcame his face as I gingerly took the skewer in my fingers. "Wow…I'm sure you're gonna like it, Raven!"

With as much grace and dignity as you could have while eating barbecue, I plucked a cube of tofu off the stick and put it in my mouth. A slightly nutty, sweet-and-sour flavor assaulted my taste buds…but it was actually quite good. "Thank you, Beast Boy. It's…"

"Yeah?"

"…Not bad at all."

Overjoyed, he morphed into a green puppy, chased his tail in a circle, and bounded back to the others to gloat.

I'm not quite sure if I can ever understand him. Why does my opinion matter so much?


	3. Charades

Beast Boy pointed to one of his ears.

"Sounds like…" Robin said slowly.

Beast Boy morphed into a Doberman.

"Doberman!" Cyborg exclaimed.

"…Cyborg…NOTHING sounds like Doberman," Robin informed him, smirking.

Yes, this is what our evening had wound down to. The barbecue lasted for about an hour before Robin requested that we return inside, so we could be near the computer should the alarm go off. So the others ended up in a circle on the floor, playing charades like a bunch of old people, and I watched from a safe distance on the couch.

"Sounds like…dog?" Robin pitched in. The green Doberman nodded its head in approval.

"Frog!" Cyborg blurted out instantly, earning giggles from Robin and Starfire.

"…Fog?" Starfire suggested cautiously. She was till learning the concept of the game.

Beast Boy rolled his eyes, which prompted the others to keep guessing.

"Hog?"

"Snog?"

"I would say 'glork', but…that fails to rhyme with 'dog', yes?"

Beast Boy stuck our his tongue and morphed back into his human form. "Dude! It was eggnog!"

"What!"

"I can't believe none of you guys got it!" the changeling chortled. "And that's the fifth game I've won!"

"Well, maybe if you didn't keep choosing the most obscure words…" Robin mumbled under his breath.

"Raven, why don't you play?" I looked up when Cyborg said my name. "See if you can beat Greeny here at his own game."

"I'm not going to…even though I could," I finished after some thought. Cyborg smirked and Beast Boy frowned, sweatdropping.

"Why do you wish to be left out in such a remarkable game?" Starfire inquired. "There is no game quite like it on my home planet!"

"I have plenty of remarks about it that I'm sure you wouldn't enjoy hearing, Starfire," I replied calmly.

"Geez, Raven, can't you ever have a little fun?" Beast Boy prodded irritably. "We don't mind if you're not full time 'meditation-and-herbal-tea'."

I gave him a look. "This morning the first thing I had to do was fend off a posse of criminals. Then I had to watch another documentary. After that,_ out of my own free will, _I helped out in the garage. I went to the grocery store with you, spent the rest of the evening at your barbecue, and stayed afterwards to watch you play some stupid game…haven't I done _enough _community service for the day?"

Pause.

"Well, geez, Raven," Beast Boy muttered finally. "If we annoy you that much, you can just go to your room or something."

I looked at the other faces in the room. Crap… Starfire looked hurt. Cyborg seemed a bit disappointed. And Robin just stared at me, disbelieving.

"…I'm sorry. I'll be in my room." Pulling my hood over my head, I exited with a swish of my cloak. As I headed for the elevator I could hear the others gradually getting back into their game.

_Why did I have to go and say that?_


	4. Midnight Talk

At around midnight I left the confinement of my room and stepped into the elevator. It took me down to the lobby, where I stepped out onto the floor.

The metal automatic doors slid upon when I approached. Before I walked any further, however, something a bit out of the ordinary caught my eye.

It was Starfire, standing by herself, and facing the window. Her being there was out of the ordinary because, for one thing, Starfire is much less than a nighttime person. The only times I have seen her come down from her room when it was dark out was whenever a criminal chose to strike at night. And, from what I remembered, she was terrified of the dark in the first place.

"Starfire?"

She squeaked and pivoted, relaxing when she saw it was only me.

"Oh, Raven, it's just you…"

I walked across the room to her. "You're up kind of late."

"Erm, yes," Starfire replied. "I thought it would be enjoyable if I were to witness the sunrise this morning…"

Indeed, the pink glows of the sun were ebbing in through the window as we spoke. "Yeah, I've done that before."

"It took quite a bit of courage to come down here at night," she admitted. I noticed her face flushing a bit in her humility. "You might be aware that I do not like the darkness."

Starfire turned her gaze back to the oncoming sun. I watched as she determinedly focused on the bright patterns in the sky. "…Why _don't _you like the dark, Starfire?"

The Tamaranean sighed softly. "I used to dislike it simply because of the things that I made up in my mind." She backed away from the window and sat on the couch. "But now…after I've fought aside you and the other Titans…it's because of the people who take advantage of this time of day…the time when they can't be seen. And they take advantage of this time in which they can't be seen to do horrible things."

I couldn't think of anything to say to that, so I simply nodded in agreement.

"What are you doing up so late, friend Raven?"

I stared down at her, and she stared back at me with tired, blinking green eyes. "I suppose I wanted to see the sunrise as well." I took a seat next to her, and she turned to me.

"Do you recall that I wanted to consult you about something between Robin and I this afternoon?" Starfire asked uneasily. "May we talk about it? Or, we may not, if you don't wish to…if it is too much to ask…"

"Look, Starfire, I apologize _profusely _for what I said during the game," I interrupted. "I didn't intend for it to come out as an insult."

She gave a small smile, looking relieved. "Glorious. And I accept your apology."

We sat in still silence for nearly a full minute. As predicted, Starfire broke it. "May we discuss Robin?"

It was my turn to sigh. "I'm sorry Starfire…I know how you feel about him, but people don't tend to come to me for advice."

"It matters not. I simply need someone to listen."

"…All right, I suppose I can be of some help tonight."

She hesitated. "You and I both know that I admire Robin greatly. He is clever, athletic, kindhearted, a…aesthetically pleasing…"

She blushed. I fought back a thin-lipped smile from overcoming my face.

"I care for him deeply, and I am rather sure that he feels the same way. Yet…he has had quite a bit on his mind lately. I have found him fixated on maps of the city…he is yet again trying to locate Slade."

"Robin is a very determined boy…"

Starfire waved a hand as if to dismiss my point. "Yes, but I worry about him. He has what you would call…a one-track mind, correct? And Slade is all he has been thinking about, and I fail to get him to relax. I fear that our Slade problem is taking over his life."

She paused and looked down at her knees, clasping her hands together. I watched behind a shadowy veil, actually beginning to feel a bit sorry for her. I regretted not being able to comfort her.

Finally I managed to say something. "Robin had a very close encounter with Slade not long ago," I began, remembering our last battle in which the two had formed an alliance. "It's all the more motivation for Robin to go after him again. We all know Robin as having a tendency to lock on to one subject and concentrate on it more than anything else."

"Yes, but still…"

"You're just a bit upset that the subject isn't you."

Her cheeks went even pinker.

"Well, that's it, isn't it?"

An embarrassed grin played on Starfire's lips. "…I suppose that you are right."

Our eyes met again. "I wouldn't worry about it," I assured her. "Like you said, he _does _care deeply about you. He took you in…he gave you speech. I've never seen him as protective over anyone else as he is protective of you." I was quiet in thought for a second. "Come to think of it, Cyborg is just about as protective of Beast Boy…"

"Raven!" She batted at my knee playfully, and for once in a long time, the two of us shared a smile.

I turned to face the window again. The sun was higher and more orange. We must have been sitting there for about half an hour. Looking back at Starfire again, I could see that her eyelids were getting heavier by the minute.

"Star, are you tired?" Hmm. Now I was calling her Star.

She yawned, grinning sleepily. "Indeed I am, friend Raven."

"Maybe you should go to bed."

"Maybe I should." She got up from the couch. "Happy snorvax, Ray—" Suddenly she stumbled, and groggily grabbed hold of the arm of the couch for support.

She didn't look like she was in any condition to walk down any long hallways any time soon. I hesitated, before reluctantly offering: "Do you need any help getting to your room?"

Starfire giggled. "That would be most helpful…"

I got up and helped her stand upright, keeping her steady with a hand on the small of her back. I led her through the metal doors and into the elevator, where it became apparent that she was literally half asleep. Her eyes were closed, orange eyelids shivering lightly as she struggled to keep them open and failed to do so. As the elevator moved up through the shaft the Tamaranean's head lolled on her neck, eventually coming to rest on my shoulder. I tried to shrug it off, wishing that the elevator could move faster so that I wouldn't have to withstand much more of this kind of annoyance.

At last the elevator came to our floor with a _ding_ and I escorted Starfire out into the hallway. I walked briskly while she struggled to keep up, skipping and tripping a bit along the way. "Raven, I trust that you will not walk me into any between-room barriers as a joke?" she giggled, swaying a bit.

I gritted my teeth. "No, Starfire, I won't let you run into any walls." Finally we came to her room and I slid the door open. She gratefully entered and pulled back the blankets on her circular bed. "Mm…g'night, Raven," she muttered with a lazy smile, slipping between the sheets.

"Good night, Starfire." I slid the door shut and hastily walked down the hall to retire to my room. Only a few hours until breakfast…


	5. Wrath of the Rolling Pin

"…sure that neither of you were up?"

"Naw, man, I was asleep all night. You can check the security cameras if you want."

"Huh…could've sworn I heard…ah well, let's check…"

The boys were in deep conversation when I arrived in the main room later that morning. Starfire hadn't shown yet, so I figured that she was still asleep. I meandered to the stove and set the kettle on, half-listening to the male Titans talk.

"Ah, see, it's just…" Cyborg cut himself off suddenly.

_"You're just a bit upset that the subject isn't you."_

Whatjida…?

_"Well, that's it, isn't it?"_

_"…I suppose that you are right."_

_Sweet Azar! _I could hear Beast Boy's nasty little cackle as they continued to listen. At the same time I felt the familiar sensation of a vein pulsing in my temple. I looked over my shoulder; Robin stared up at the screen, eyes a bit wide.

_"I wouldn't worry about it. Like you said, he does care deeply about you. He took you in…"_

"Aw man!" Cyborg snorted. "Do you know who they're talking about?"

"I have one wild guess," Beast Boy giggled. Robin's face flushed.

_"…Come to think of it, Cyborg's just about as protective of Beast Boy…"_

Cyborg and Beast Boy suddenly stopped laughing. "Huh?"

_This is my chance…quick, something within arm's reach…ah, rolling pin!_

I levitated up behind them, weapon concealed within my cloak. "Good morning, boys." The android and the changeling spun around quickly, but they were a bit too late.

**Whack. **"THAT"—**Whack.—**"IS"—**Whack.—**"A"—**Whack.**—"PRIVATE"—**Whack.**—"CONVERSATION!" **Whop!**

They turned off the video pretty soon afterward.

**XXXXX**

Starfire came downstairs a little while later. I personally made sure that the boys were on their best behavior and didn't mention that they had a tape of our late night talk. Beast Boy and Cyborg fought about/made breakfast, per usual…but I noticed that Robin had pulled Starfire aside at one point to talk about something. I could only hope that all would go well.

I also noticed that Beast Boy and Cyborg were careful enough to sit on opposite ends of the table when I came back with my tea.


	6. Bonding Activity?

I was reading the Book of Azar on the couch when I was tackle hugged by a rampaging Tamaranean.

"Raven! I have the most pleasing news! Robin and I have come to an understanding!" She continued to squeeze me around the neck.

"Staaaaah….Starfirrre…permission to breathe? Please?"

"Oh! My apologies."

She loosened her grip and I hastened to push her off of me. "So, what kind of understanding?" I asked, massaging the back of my neck with one hand.

"He apologized for his neglecting, and has promised me 'a night out' later this evening for just the two of us to make up for time that has been lost! Isn't that most wondrous?"

Blink. "You mean he asked you out on a _date?_"

"If that is what you wish to call it, then yes indeed! A date it shall be!" She clapped her hands together in joy, her eyes shining cutely.

"Where are you two going?"

"That has not quite yet been established…but I trust that whatever Robin has in mind will be suitable."

"Heh, yeah…I think that the two of you need to decide on that together."

Robin walked through the room. We kept quiet until we heard the sliding doors close.

"Are you doubtful that Robin will make a good choice, Raven?"

I raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm not. Anyway, whatever it is the two of you do, I hope you have a good time."

Cyborg strode into the room. "Hey girls, mind if I turn on the TV?"

"…If you must," I replied slowly. The android sat down next to Starfire and I and fumbled with the television remote. As soon as the television had been turned on a bright ad flashed across the screen.

A player of the Jump City Malamutes (which I understand to be the local baseball team) stood behind a counter, where two male fans wearing jerseys stood before him. "I'll have one large ROOT BEER FLOAT, JERRY MCMILLAN, star player of the Jump City Malamutes!" one of the fans chirped eagerly.

"Sure thing!" Jerry McMillan said, forcing a smile. He whipped out a large cup of root beer and dropped a baseball-sized scoop of vanilla ice cream in it. The mixture fizzed dangerously.

"Wow! A root beer float served by my FAVORITE BASEBALL PLAYER!" the fan screeched as he was handed the drink. "This is the happiest day of my LIFE!"

"Hey, gimme that root beer float!" the other fan snapped. "I want this to be the happiest day of my life too!"

"No, it's mine!"

"Give it!"

A brawl erupted between the two of them. Jerry McMillan strained a grin and kept a fixated stare at the camera. "Have the happiest day of your life!" a voice-over announced. "Root Beer Float Night at Jump City Ballpark, Malamutes versus Pumas! TONIGHT!"

"Aw, SWEET!" Cyborg drooled. "That's it, I'm getting us all tickets to that game tomorrow…" He began to convert the television to its computer settings.

"Uh, are you sure that's such a good idea?" I questioned uneasily.

"Why not?" Cyborg responded. He was already booking tickets where what seemed to be close to the action.

"Well, it's kind of short notice," I continued. I eyed Starfire. "Some of us may have something already planned."

"Raven, what could you possibly have planned?"

My temple pulsated. "I'm not talking about me…besides, Robin usually likes it if we consult him before doing anything impulsive or rash…"

Robin entered. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked upon seeing the computer screen.

"…speak of the devil. Robin, Cyborg just—"

"DUDE, Robin!" Cyborg interrupted. "I just booked tickets for all of us to the Malamutes game tonight that are right behind home plate! And it's Root Beer Float Night!"

I awaited Robin's angry outburst…

"Seriously! Root Beer Float Night? Aw man, that's so awesome!"

What? But what about Starfire…?

"Glorious! Robin, this shall be out bonding activity this night!" Starfire cheered, hugging the Boy Wonder adoringly around the neck.

Beast Boy joined us. "Hey dudes, what's going on…?"

I briskly swept past him toward the kitchen. "Aspirin…I need aspirin NOW…"

**XXXXX**

**A/N: Important announcement right here. **In case you haven't read the announcement in my bio, it might help for me to say that when school starts (around the 25th of August) my parents are going to limit my computer time to the weekends. So, the updates may be a bit slow. But no worries, I still have plans on continuing this story, and I might be able to squeeze in one more update before school begins.

Happy reading.


	7. Disease

A few hours later we were back in the T-car. The game certainly wasn't going to start for a while, but Cyborg insisted that we leave early in order to be first in line for root beer floats. Next to him in the front passenger seat was Beast Boy; I sat behind him, and Starfire and Robin sat next to me, in that order. In my lap lay the Book of Azar, which I intended on reading during the entire game.

_When will I ever finish this book…?_

"Robin, I am delighted that we are finally getting some time to relax!" Starfire was saying. I could see Beast Boy and Cyborg's mouths twitch into knowing grins in the rearview mirrors.

"Yeah…I'm glad too." It was easy to tell that Robin was being careful about what he said in front of the other two males.

"You will keep me informed on the rules of this 'baseball' game, yes? Because I am afraid that I still cannot see the difference between the 'strike-out' and the 'foul'…"

Robin began to explain the difference to her. Meanwhile I sighed and rested my head against the car door window. _This is going to be a long ride…_

**XXXXX**

The T-car cruised alongside the sidewalk and pulled into the Jump City Ballpark parking lot. Cyborg groaned in dismay as many already-parked cars came into vision. "This is gonna push us _way _back in line…"

He quickly parked the car to occupy the spot that was the closest available one to the stadium. Needless to say, it was still quite far off. "Everyone, out!" Cyborg commanded, hopping out of the car himself. The rest of us followed wearily.

"Hurry up, Raven!" Beast Boy called excitedly as I took my time closing the car door. "Other people are getting ahead of us as we speak!"

"Other people have better things to do than worry their heads over things like—AUH!" The Book of Azar nearly flew out of my hands as a certain part robot grabbed me around the waist and propelled himself towards the stadium in a sprint. I held onto the book for dear life as I silently plotted the consequences…

**XXXXX**

"Hey! Wanna Jerry McMillan bobble-head!"

I stopped dead in my tracks as a crazed stadium employee held up a frightening figurine with an un-proportional head. We had just handed in our tickets and entered the stadium when this certain man leapt in front of us to advertise his product. "It's free!" he added.

"No thank you," I answered irritably.

"Cool!" Cyborg said at the same time, accepting the bobble-head joyously. _He has no pride…_ "Okay guys!" he began as soon as the man had left. "I'm going straight to the root beer float booth. Who's comin' with me?"

"I'll go," Robin offered. "I brought a pen…maybe Jerry McMillan will sign the cup?"

"I'll come with the both of you!" Starfire said hastily. "I've had yet to sample this drink which you call the root beer float."

"I'll pass," I muttered. "I'd rather have something of nutritional value."

"Suit yourself," Cyborg said, shrugging. "BB, you coming?"

Beast Boy glanced at Cyborg, then at me. "Actually, unless they happened to have soy ice cream, I think I'll pass. I'd rather get an actual dinner, anyway."

I cocked an eyebrow.

Cyborg grinned. "All right, then. We'll all meet back here afterwards, and find our seats. Is that cool with y'all?" Before anyone could answer, he started to head to the root beer float booth with Robin and Starfire trailing behind.

Beast Boy turned to me. "Hey…while you're looking for something to eat, mind if I tag along? I've actually never been here before, and I…uh…" A pink hue rose in his cheeks. "I kind of don't want to get lost."

I sighed. "All right. Just…just don't expect me to pay for anything of yours."

We trudged off together to inspect the vendors.

Beast Boy stopped me when we approached a Panda Express. "You up for Chinese food?"

I shrugged indifferently and followed him into the line. I ended up getting a bowl of steamed white rice; Beast Boy got the same, only with additional wok-fried green beans and tofu.

We headed back to our meeting place and waited for the others. It wasn't too long before our three other teammates came back to join us. Cyborg and Starfire looked cheerful enough, but Robin wore a slightly sullen expression on his face.

"I just got a root beer float from Jerry McMillan!" Cyborg announced triumphantly as I twitched upon hearing the name for about the millionth time that day. "I'm on top of the world!"

"I asked him to sign mine," Robin muttered. He held up his drink, which appeared to be dyed blue. "He didn't get that I meant the _cup._"

"This beverage is quite lovely!" Starfire exclaimed before taking another hearty sip from her root beer float. "It is so fizzy and sweet and it makes me feel so happy inside…" She continued to ramble on about it as we all walked to find our seats. Robin sat on the end, with Starfire, Cyborg, myself, and Beast Boy next to him in that order. We were in the middle of a row behind the backstop and home plate. Cyborg, Robin, and Beast Boy clearly showed their excitement as they seated themselves, alert and trembling.

Nearly twenty minutes later the ballpark was filled with the noise of some woman warbling the Star Spangled Banner. I cringed as the unholy sound reached my ears, but stood up respectfully along with everyone else around me.

At the middle of the song I suddenly felt an oncoming warmth near my right hand. I glanced down and was somewhat horrified so see Beast Boy's gloved hand inching slowly towards it. Everything came together…he _liked _me or something. That's why he was acting so weird around me. I inwardly began to freak out. _What do I do?_

I did the only thing that I could think of.

"WA-CHOO!" I pretended to sneeze just before his hand reached mine. I doubled over comically, and brought my hands to my nose. _Maybe I overdid it? _To my left I could see Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg giving me odd, concerned looks.

I looked up at Beast Boy. He looked a bit confused.

We stared at each other.

…

…

"…I'm contagious…"

His face fell.

**XXXXX**

A/N: Sorry, shippers.


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